Trap.



J. M. GA'RAWAY.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Attorneys 0.. WASHINGTON. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. CARAWAY, OF LONGMONT, COLORADO.

TRAP.

To an whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. CARAWAY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Longmont, in the county ofBoulder and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Trap, ofwhich the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to a new and useful form of animal trap. 10

An object of the present invention is to provide a trap which willbeeasy to set in operative position and which will be released by theweight of theanimal as it steps upon a suitable treadle.

A further object 1s to provide an animal trap with a small cage securedthereto whereby live bait such as prairie-dogs,fowl, and so forth may beused.

. A further object is to provide two horizontally movable jaws betweenwhich the animal will be attracted by suitable bait and in attempting toreach the" bait which is placed between and slightly beneath the jawswill automatically release the jaw holding mechanism .which willimmediately,

spring to a closed position and bymeans of suitable rods or prongs,capture and kill the wild animal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction, hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodimentof the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, Without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

: In the drawings accompanying this speci- 40,

fication and forming a part thereof, the preferable form of my inventionis illustrated, in which: j

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved form of trap. Fig. 2 is a sideview thereof, a portion of the base being removed .and

' illustrating the treadle which in turn .re-

leases the trigger, the latter holding the jaws in an open position.-Fig. 3 is a front view with the jaws openor extended. Fig. 4 is a planview of-the base, the jaws and mechanism connected thereto beingremoved. Fig.

5 is a fragmental view in cross section of a one of the jawsandfdepicting the trigger releasing mechanism. Fig. 6 is a similar viewof the same jaw, showing the trigger in alocked position. is a view intreadle 10 can befrais'ed a suitable distance above the ground so thatit may swing freely upon its hinge supports 11.

The treadle 10 upon which the animal steps for the releasing "of thetrap is L- shaped in outlinethe one portion thereof ex-. tending betweenthesides of the base which is cut away for the accommodation thereof.

The rearwardly extending 1portion;12 of the treadle is provided with anupstanding rod Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d D 15", 1 14Application filed August 11,1913. Serial nave 1,237. i i

elevation of-the trigger releasing mechanism 13 which is moved upwardlyand forwardly as the front portion of thetreadle is pressed downwardlyby the weight of the animal thereon. a

. The jaws 14c and 15 'areprovided with the plates 16 which overlap andthrough which extends a pivot bolt 17 This pivot bolt17 islocated-centrally'of the, side'sof thebase 8,.and, adjacent the rearextremity thereof.

The forward ends of thejaws 14 ,and'l5 are 1 provided with what aretermed the body irons 18 whichare intended. to extend around and gripthe animal. as the jaws and their character willldepend entirely uponthespecies of animals which are to be v I 0 1 move upon the same. The,number of irons 5 caught. "Also attention is called to theparticularprong 19 clearly illu strated in Fig.

3,-which is intended to pierce the animal and j to instantly killthesame. The rear extremities of the jaws 14:. and 15, are elongated asat20 and 21 respectively to which is secured, the mechanism whereby thejaws are set and retained in an open position; the

releasing from saidposition being accom-.

plished ,bv, theflowering ofthe forward portion of the treadle as, willbe hereinafter morefu'llvexplained.3 j 1 The .rear extension 2Oof-theljaw 14: is

provided "with .an opening 22 extending transversely therethrough andinwhich is pivotally secured whatis termed the iaw holding bar 23. Thebar' 23 is provided with a notch" 2 1 which is positioned at a pointsuch that extend aslight disaway as at 34 and a suitable tance beyondthe outer extremity of the rear extension 21 of the jaw 15 through whichthe jaw holding bar 23' passes when the jaws 14c and 15 are in an openor extended position substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

Extending longitudinally of the jaw 15 is a trigger 25 pivotally securedthereto as at 26 and with the lower sharpened end 27 thereof adaptedtoengage the notch 24: of the jaw holding bar 23. A tensional spring 28is rigidly secured to the jaws l4: and 15 adjacent the front end thereofso that when the trigger is released from the notch 24 the jaws 14 and15 will be brought forcibly together. lVith the trigger in a setposition as illustrated in Fig. 1, there will be a constant tendency forthe extensions and 21 to move apart with the result that the upperportion of the trigger will tend to move outwardly away from the jaw 15which will release the jaw holding bar 23 and allow, the jaws to cometogether. As illustrated in Fig. 5, there is an opening 29 extendingtransversely through the jaw 15 and through which opening extends atrigger holding member 30. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the trigger holdingmember is provided with the upwardly and outwardly extending arm 31which is adapted to engage the trigger 25 and hold the same beneath asuitable support illustrated as a screw 32. The inwardly extendingportion of the trigger holding member when in a set position extendsunder a horizontal holding rod 33. WVhen positioned beneath said holdingrod 33 the trigger 25 is held tightly against the side of the jaw 15 andhead of the screw 32 thus preventing the outward movement of the triggerand preventing the release of the jaw holding bar 23. As illustrated inFig. 1, the upstanding rod 13 of the treadle extends behind the triggerholding member 30 so that when the treadle 10 is moved downwardly, theupstanding rod 13 is moved upwardly and forwardly and moves the innerportion of the trigger holding member 30 from beneath the horizontalsupporting arm 33 with the consequent releasing of the arm 31 andallowing the trigger 25 to moveoutwardly andthe lower portions of thejaws to swing apart, the latter action being accomplished by-the spring28. A portion of the base is cut cover 35 positioned thereover andwhichcover 'may be removed, it being pivoted about the bolt 17 asillustrated in Fig. 4:; The front portion of the opening 34 is partiallyclosed by means of the bars 36 whereby. a receptacle or compartment isformed wherein live bait may be placed and at the same time be visiblefrom. a considerable distance, to entice the animal within the range ofaction of the jaws. When it is desired that the live bait mounted above.and moving in a wardly extending projections,

j aw holding member.

in theform of fowl, prairie dogs, or other small animals be placedwithin the compartment, the bars 36 may be removed, or cover 35 may beswung about its pivot 17 either of which renders the compartmentaccess1- ble. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the trigger holding member 30 iswrapped about and pivotally secured to a cross bar 37 which allows themember 30 to move in a horizontal as well as a vertical direction, itbeing pointed out that the connections between the bar 37 and member 30allows for considerable play therebetween.

In order to facilitate the setting of the trap and the baiting thereofmeans in the form of a latch 38 are provided which engage suitableopenings 39 which are adapted to hold the jaws 1t and 15 in an extendedposition and allow for a setting of trap, this being rather an importantfeature when the trap is made of considerable size as it is thought willbe readily appreciated,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In ananimal trap, the combination of a base with the forward portion thereofremoved, a treadle .rotatably secured within the removed portion of saidbase, jaws pivotally secured to the said base and provided withextensions projecting rearwardly therefrom, a jaw holding rod pivotallysecured to one of the said extensions and projecting to the oppositeextension, a trigger pivotally secured to the last mentioned extensionand adapted to engage the said jaw holding rod, and means for holdingthe trigger in a set position, said means adapted to be released by amoving of the said treadle.

2. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a treadle pivotallysecured to the front portion of the base and provided with a rearwardlyextending portion, jaws plane parallel to the said base and pivotallysecured thereto, resilient means secured to the said jaws adapted tobring the same forcibly together, said jaws provided with reara jawholding member pivotally secured'to one of the said projections andextending through the opposite projection, a trigger secured to the lastmentioned projection and adapted to engage the jaw holding member, saidholding member adapted to hold the jaws in spaced relation with thetrigger in a set position, a trigger holding member secured to one ofsaid jaws and adapted to hold the said trigger in a set condition, andan up right arm secured to thesaid treadle and adapted to release thesaid trigger holding member with the downward movement of said treadle,the releasing of said trigger holdingmember releasing said trigger and3. An animal trapcomprising a base, a treadle carried thereby, a movablejaw pivotally secured to said base and provided with an extensionprojecting rearwardlytherefrom, a jaw holding rod slidably engaging thesaid extension, resilient means engaging said movable jaw adapted tomove treadle movably carried thereby, jaws pivotally secured to the basemoving above said treadle, said jaws provided with rearwardly projectingextensions, a jaw holding rod pivotally secured to one of saidextensions and slidably engaging the opposite extension, a triggerpivotally securedto andcarried by the last mentioned extension engagingthe said jaw holding rod, means for holding said trigger in a setposition, said means adapted to be released by a movement of saidtreadle.

5. In an animal trap, the combination of a base provided with theforward portion thereof removed, a treadle pivotally secured within theremoved portion, said base provided adjacent one edge thereof with acompartment for the reception of live bait therein, means for renderingthe said compartment accessible, jaws pivotally secured Copies 5: thispatent may be obtained for ber thereunder,

to and mounted above the said base, said jaws moving in a plane parallelthereto, resilient means adapted to forcibly move the said jawstogether, means secured to the contacting faces of the said jaws adaptedto engage an animal therebetween, said jaws provided with rearwardlyextending projections, a jaw member pivotally secured to one of the saidprojections and passing through the opposite projection, a triggersecured to the last mentioned projection and adapted to engage the saidjaw holding member, the trigger holding member engaging the upperextremity of the said trigger and adapted to hold the same in a setposition, said trigger holdingmember including an arm extending throughthe said jaw, a

horiaontally extending supporting arm adapted to receive the triggerholding memto thereby hold the said trigger holding member andtrigger-in a set position, and an upstanding rod rigidly secured to thesaid treadle, treadle and adapted to release the said trigger holdingmember from beneath the said horizontally extending member, the trigger,and the jaw holding member allowing for the moving of said jawstogether,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses B. Bnnnnnn, 1 D. HUYETT,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or intents, Washington,C. i

moved by the said -s a JAMES M. CARAWAYL.

